Object

Riker's Potatoes (Stew Ingredient)

A modest pile of diced, starchy potatoes — peeled, soft and steaming — incorporated into Riker's improvised Alaskan stew. The tuber pieces glisten in broth, absorb savory seasonings, and serve as the stew's filling base. Riker ladles the stew into bowls and offers it to the small table; Pulaski and Geordi accept and taste with quiet approval while Worf recoils and refuses, marking the potatoes' role in a tense, intimate domestic exchange.

4 appearances

Purpose

To provide the starchy component and body of Riker's improvised Alaskan stew served as a low‑stakes meal to mend crew morale.

Significance

Functions as a tangible element of Riker's ritual apology and emotional repair: the potatoes help make the humble, homemade stew believable and communal, enabling moments of reconciliation (Pulaski/Geordi acceptance) and highlighting cultural friction (Worf's revulsion).

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S2E13 · Time Squared

Riker's Domestic Reckoning

Potatoes (fabricated by the computer) form the stew’s starchy base and contribute to its comforting texture, serving as a grounding, modest ingredient for the ritual meal.

Before: Fabricated and incorporated into the simmering stew.

After: Now served in the bowls; have been tasted by the crew.

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S2E13 · Time Squared

Riker's Redemption Stew and Quiet Confession

Potatoes, fabricated by the ship, act as the stew's filling base; mentioned explicitly to emphasize the computer's role and the improvised nature of the meal's molecular components.

Before: Fabricated and placed in the cooking utensil as part of the stew mixture.

After: Cooked and incorporated into served portions on plates.

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S2E13 · Time Squared

Riker's Stew: A Small Ritual of Repair

Steamed diced potatoes are a visible ingredient in the stew, supplying body and comfort-food familiarity; they help sell the fabricated meal as hearty and homey.

Before: Cooked and integrated into the stew in the pot.

After: Present in served bowls; partially consumed.

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S2E13 · Time Squared

Riker's Stew and Worf's Refusal

Potatoes, fabricated by the ship's systems, provide the stew's filling base—steaming and visible—contributing texture and the sensory cues (steam, starch) that make the dish comforting.

Before: Fabricated and incorporated into the stew pot on the hot plate.

After: Part of the partially served stew remaining in the pot and on plates.

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